Thursday, October 20, 2016

TANZANIA
is expected to be among the top five producers of uranium in Africa after the
completion of Mkuju River Uranium Project, which is in the final stage of
trial, the Uranium One Chief Operation officer, Mr Andrey Shotov said on
Wednesday this week.He told journalists that in the coming
two years they will start mining activities, the project expected to boost the
country's economy. “We are finalizing the Mkuju River project, we are looking
forward to start trial as in the coming two years,” he said. According to Mr
Shotov, the project started seven years ago and that it has reached to the
implementation stage after various research studies were conducted. He said the
project is expected to provide employment to various Tanzanians and promote
various economic activities across the country. “Mkuju River Project in
Tanzania is among the world’s most promising uranium projects. The project is
currently maintained in the active status as research work and preparatory
operations are under way,” he said. MANTRA Tanzania Mnaging Director Mr
Frederick Kibodya said that Mkuju River Project would be the first uranium mine
in the country. He said since establishment of the project, over 200m/- US
dollar have already been used in exploration, constructing infrastructure and
supporting local communities. “The projects will increase national income and
employment to many Tanzanian. Tanzania will be the leader in mining
technologies,” he said. He said upon the completion Mkuju River Project would
employ 1,600 people.

THE
government of the Democratic Republic of Congo has announced the reduction of
Visa fee for Tanzanians and Ugandans by half from 100/-US dollar to 50/- US
dollar with effect from November 1, 2016. The
decision has come a month after the DRC Ambassador to Tanzania, Mr Jean- Pierre
Mutamba and the Central Corridor Transit Transport Facilitation Agency (TTFA)
Executive Secretary Capt Dieudonné Dukundane as well as Chief Operating Officer
Mr Sayiba Tambwe Patient met with DRC high level officials in Kinshasa to
discuss the matter. According to the statement released by DRC’s Director
General of Immigration Mr François Beya Kasonga the move is part of Visa
harmonisation process for Central Corridor Member Countries, in which Burundi,
DRC, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda are involved.

Already Burundi, DRC and Rwanda
enjoy Visa free movement among themselves under the Economic Community of the
Great Lakes Countries (CEPGL) arrangement. Harmonisation of Visa was also one
of the agreed issues during the 7th Ordinary Meeting of the Inter-State Council
of Ministers of the TTFA held in Dar es Salaam on August 11, 2016. Commenting
on the new development Capt. Dukundane hailed DRC Officials for this move that
will reduce struggles and facilitate trade within Central Corridor member
countries. He also commended the useful guidance provided by the DRC Ambassador
to Tanzania, Mr Mutamba towards the achievements made so far throughout this
process.

PRIME Minister, Mr
Kassim Majaliwa, has ordered immediate arrest and prosecution of environmental
polluters in Lindi Region, decrying the alarming rate of dirtying the
surroundings in the southern region.The
premier, addressing a public rally in Lionmdi town on Wednesday this week, he directed
the regional authorities to take stern measures against the culprits, warning
that if the current trend continues unabated, the region is likely to turn into
a desert, with most of the water catchments badly affected. He said instead of
clearing the forest every year, sesame farmers should use their farms
permanently for the cash crop growing, noting that sustainable agriculture
should always support environmental conservation. Mr Majaliwa noted that the
tree cutting would not only lead to desert but also shortage of food due to
adverse effects on the water catchments. He said the government has this year
spent about 75m/- on a borehole project, more than double the 35m/- spent on
similar project in the past due to declining water sources. Lindi Regional
Commissioner (RC), Godfrey Zambi, directed the ward and village leaders in the
region to beef up security at areas surrounding forests, threatening stern
actions against any leader failing to conserve the environment in their areas
of discretion. “Those who are implicated in bush fire and cultivating near
water catchment areas will now face the wrath of law,” said Mr Zambi.

EAST African Community
(EAC)’s citizens encountering violent crimes in foreign countries will get
support from their country embassies, thanks to EAC Anti-Trafficking in Persons
Bill, 2016.Before the East African
Legislative Assembly (EALA) passed the Bill here yesterday, several members
debated it extensively, with Ms Susani Nakawuki asking embassies abroad to
increase efforts in helping the EAC citizens in difficulties. “The primary
concern of the Embassy or Consulate should be the safety of citizens, arranging
for medical assistance, providing guidance on regulations and contacting next
of kin in the event of violent attack, accident or death,” she said. Ms
Nakawuki accused many EAC member embassies abroad of not offering enough
support to the victims, arguing that it’s high time changes were made amid this
era of escalating human trafficking in the pretext of searching jobs. She said
most of the victims were women as another legislator, Adam Kimbisa drummed up
for increased control of the permissions to leave the country. “Details of
where our citizens are going (abroad) should be made available before the
leaving approval.” Ms Dora Byamukama, who moved the Bill, Mr Martin Ngoga and
Ms Maryam Ussi who presented the Committee on Legal Rules and Privileges report
on behalf of the substantive Chairperson, Mr Peter Mathuki, asked all members
to endorse the proposed legislation. The Bill now awaits the assent of the EAC
Heads of State in line with Article 63 of the Treaty of the Establishment of
the EAC. Should the Heads of State assent the Bill, it will become an Act of
the Community, taking precedence over the laws of the partner states on the
matter. The Bill seeks to provide a legal framework for the prevention of
trafficking in persons, prosecution of perpetrators of crime, provision of
protection mechanisms and services for the victims of trafficking and
strengthen partnerships against trafficking in persons in regional bloc.

DEVELOPMENT Partners
are satisfied with implementation of the Tanzania Social Action Fund (TASAF)
productive social safety net (PSSN) programme which is on track in achieving
its objectives.They have urged government
to substantially increase its budget allocation to the PSSN and also explore
additional funding sources. Mission Task Team Leader, Muderis Abdulahi
Mohammed, made the remarks at the Joint Review Mission Wrap-up Meeting held in
Dar es Salaam on Wednesday this week after having carried out field visits in
Pemba, Mkalama, Muheza, Chato and Mbarali recently. “Most of the processes of
the conditional cash transfers (CCT) are well stabilised and operate
adequately. Compliance records for health and education grew from 37 percent
and 28 percent in July 2015 to 82 percent and 81 percent respectively in May
2016,” said Mohammed. However, compliance with co-responsibilities is over 95
percent in health and over 90 percent in education whereby children aged
between 6-18 years enrolled in schools with 93.8 percent attendance, he said. “Ninety
one percent of households with children below the age of five years attend
health facilities regularly,” he noted. On average 58 percent of households
voluntarily joined the Community Health Fund (CHF) to overcome risks and shocks
in time of need. Considering the Budget shortage, Mohammed said the mission has
recommended maintaining of public works roll-out only to 44 project authority
areas (PAAs) which are about 300,000 households until more budgets become
available. He noted a good progress towards instituting e-payment system to
digitalise cash transfers and increase financial inclusion in a flexible
distribution. Deputy Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Finance and
Planning, Amina Shabani, said the TASAF programme needs to be enhanced and
sustained, expressing the government’s commitment to fully support the
projects. “The government extends recognition to the DPs for their invariable
support,” she said. TASAF Executive Director Ladislaus Mwamanga pointed out that
the programme intended to reach 10 percent of the entire population but has
surpassed the limit. “The project has already covered 1.1 million poor
households which is equivalent to 15 percent of the total population in 161
Project Authority Areas (PAAs) which is close to 10,000 villages,” noted
Mwamanga.

Thursday, October 6, 2016

STAKEHOLDERS in the hydrocarbons industry are in the
final stages airing their views on National Gas Utilization Master Plan (NGUMP)
before government’s releases it for public discussion. Deputy Permanent
Secretary in the Ministry of Energy and Minerals, Prof James Mdoe, SAID ON Wednesday
this week in Dar es Salaam that the document has been in preparation since
2010. “At the moment we are finalising NGUMP, which aims at providing clear
guidelines on the utilisation of the discovered natural gas,” he said. He said
the meeting was crucial as it brought together stakeholders in the industry to
air their views on the NGUMP draft for further improvement. The intention of
the government, he said, was to ensure Tanzanians benefit from the natural
resource whether directly or indirectly. NGUMP is a strategic document
promoting inter-sectoral coordination in the design and implementation of the
natural gas development activities. The government envisages coordinated
utilization of gas on the basis of NGUMP while detailed technical and economic
analysis should guide selection of the best project for implementation that
will address mutual interest of the investors. Tanzania Petroleum Development
Corporation (TPDC), Acting Managing Director, Kapuulya Musomba, said the objectives
of NGUMP include identifying current and future demand and supply of natural
gas for local and foreign markets. “As it is a 30-year action plan, it also
aims to set up a framework for development of infrastructure to supply the
market and to set financing strategy for gas utilization projects,” he said.
NGUMP proposes that natural gas will be utilised for cooking and cooling in the
households. In forecasting households demand natural gas, an assumption is made
that a typical household will demand 35.5 scfd for cooking. Musomba said the
master plan was an integral part of the strategy for the implementation of
National Energy Policy of 2015 regarding the utilization of the resource, the
improvement of infrastructures and human capital development in the country. According
to National Bureau of Statistics, it is assumed that from 2016-2045 the
population will on average be growing at 1.95 per cent per annum. It is further
assumed that ten per cent of households in the country will be supplied with
natural gas for cooking by 2045. Over the past two years, Tanzania has
discovered 50.5-trillion cubic feet of gas, of which roughly 45-trillion is
offshore. This includes the nearly three trillion discovered in June by Statoil
and its partner, Exxon- Mobil.

IN a bid to improve the quality of education in the country,
the government has said that it is making sure that all important plans are
legally protected. Education,
Science, Technology and Vocational Training Minister, Prof Joyce Ndalichako,
disclosed this early this week in Dar es Salaam at the opening of education
stakeholders’ meeting. The meeting participants included retired civil servants
from the Ministry of Education, permanent secretaries, commissioners, directors
and school inspectors. It was aimed at discussing challenges facing education
and advise the government on appropriate measures in addressing them. Prof
Ndalichako said that a number of good plans have been put in place but they are
being interfered with new plans before they are implemented. “Following these
challenges, we are working to ensure that all plans in my ministry are given
legal power to avoid frequent changes and promote sustainable development in
the sector,” she said.

The priority of the Fifth Phase Government, she said, is
to improve the quality of education. “This involves strengthening of the
education system from nursery to tertiary level, students’ qualifications,
education inspectors and teaching techniques,” she said. The minister further
said that her ministry is currently working on a bill that will allow the
formation of a teachers’ regulatory body. She said the formation of the body
will help ensure that all teachers who will be allocated to the schools meets
all the required qualifications. Prof Ndalichako, however, said that the
government values all views by stakeholders which aim at improving education.
For her part, the Director for Schools Quality Assurance in the Ministry of
Education, Science, Technology and Vocational Training, Marystella Wasena, said
that the meeting was crucial for the development of education. “This meeting is
crucial because its participants are former employees of the Ministry of
Education. They have experience in the sector and some of them have acquired
studies on various issues related to education. We hope that their views are
important in addressing various challenges facing the sector,” she said. Gender
and Development Consultant Prof Marjorie Mbilinyi commended the government
efforts to ensure that all children in the country have access to basic
education. The government has increased the number of schools and desks, but it
should also take initiatives to improve the quality of education. She, however,
said that the government should also employ more teachers and empower them with
new teaching skills to improve pupils/students’ performance.

THE condition for the public servants to obtain
primary school certificate is one of the issues raised and which created mixed
feelings as the National Identification Agency (NIDA) launched registration for
public servants for Mwanza region this week in Mwanza city. The exercise which was launched for
Nyamagana Municipality and carried out throughout the region up to October 17
this year requires all the registered staff to submit among other things their
Primary School Leaving Certificate which was highly disputed, as many staff
claimed they could not obtain them given the short duration provided for
registration. One of the staff members, Mr Francis Mutunda, a teacher, said it
will be difficult to obtain the certificate since he and some of the staff
originated and got their primary education from outside Mwanza region, and that
the given time was not enough to trace them. Earlier while opening the exercise
which was conducted at the Mwanza Secondary School, the Nyamagana District
Commissioner (DC), Ms Mary Tesha, said it was important for all the public
servants in the municipality to be identified, registered and ultimately be
issued with the national identification certificates. “This is in accordance to
the directives issued by the government for its workers records to be in safe
custody as well as getting rid of ghost workers in the future. So it is crucial
for every staff member to be registered and in facilitating this, I ask for
maximum cooperation to NIDA officers and others undertaking this exercise,” she
said. Apart from primary education certificates, the public servants are
supposed to submit other credentials including secondary school certificates,
current salary slips, academic certificates and identification letters from the
local governments. An officer from NIDA, Mr Daudi Hashim, said soon after the
registration of the public servants, the exercise will continue with the rest
of the residents and was scheduled to be fully completed nationwide by June
next year.

AS Tanzania joins the rest of the world to mark the Fifth International Day
of the Girl Child next week, stakeholders are set to strengthen awareness
campaigns to ensure that girls have access to education, economic opportunities
and have the opportunity to influence decision making. Plan International
Tanzania, said on Wednesday that throughout the week from October 11, this
year, they would conduct different activities ensuring that Tanzanian girls
become visible like never before and inspire others to join the global movement
to ensure that they get their rights. The Country Director of the organisation,
Mr Jorgen Haldorsen, said that they would commemorate the day in collaboration
with the districts authorities and there will be different events - debates on
barriers for girls’ education, causes of child marriage, early pregnancies and
the launching of new ending child marriage projects. He said the celebrations
will be held in various areas including the regions of Dar es Salaam, Mwanza
and Geita as well as districts of Nkasi, Ifakara, Kibaha and Kisarawe . He
noted that during the day, in each country, there will be 50 girls
participating in the event. This year’s theme for International Day of the Girl
Child focuses on adolescent girls and the Sustainable Development Goals;
‘Girls’ Progress-Goals’ Progress: A Global Girl Data Movement’ which set a
range of international targets, including on gender equality, to be achieved by
2030. He said ending abuse and inequality that afflicts millions of girls
around the world will not be realized without better statistics on the
realities of their lives. “When we rally behind girls, everybody wins. Let’s
have all our efforts towards giving the girls the chance to learn, lead, decide
and thrive, and illustrate that the world needs to value them, help release
their potential by ensuring they have equal opportunities,” he said. Governments
will not end the abuse and inequality facing millions of girls without better
statistics on the realities of their lives, says a report by Plan
International.

POLICE
in Mbeya Region is holding a woman identified as Mode Barnaba over suspicions of
stealing a three month old baby identified as Peter Belino in Rungwe District. Speaking
in a telephone interview on Wednesday this week, Mbeya Regional Police
Commander, (RPC) Dhahiri Kidavashari said the incident occurred at Ndaga area
in Rungewe village. Explaining the ordeal, the biological mother of the child
who was identified as Anna Belino Fabian (25), a resident of Ndaga, reported
that the suspect stole her baby when she was shaving her hair and she asked to
offer a helping hand to carry the baby when the mother was treating her hair. “The
woman who is a resident of Mchangani village in Rungwe district is suspected to
steal the baby when she visited the home of the stolen child. She volunteered
to carry the baby before disappearing with her to an unknown place until she
was caught by the police,” the RPC reported. He said the mother of the stolen
baby reported the incident to the police and the law enforcers launched a
manhunt to look for the suspect. The suspect was later arrested at the
Mchangani village bus stand while she was preparing to travel with the baby to
Mbeya town. The suspect will appear before the court of law after
investigations are completed. The Mbeya Regional Chief of Police has reminded
parents and guardians to protect their children in order to avoid such
incidents of child theft. In a separate incident, a men identified as Frank
Edison (20), and Moses Mwangoka (17), are being held by the police in Mbeya for
allegedly being found in possession of 45 grams of suspected narcotic drugs
believed to be marijuana. The suspects were arrested on Tuesday morning this
week when police conducted a crackdowns at Ilemi and Ilolo areas in Mbeya City.
The suspects will appear in the court of law after police complete
investigations.

AWARD 1

I won the second prize in policy category of the African Information society Initiative ( AISI) awards 2004 which is annually organized by the United Nations- Economic Commission for Africa ( UNECA) based in Addis-Ababa, Ethiopia. On the first photo above standing with other awardees after the Ceremony at the National Settlers monument in Grahamstown, South Africa.This was during the 8th Highway Africa Conference.The second photo shows the cross section of Jounalists from different African countries who attended the ceremony.

AWARD 2

I also won the AISI-GKP/SDC Media Award special reporting on WSIS process and Africa, and conferred with the award in Tunis, Tunisia during WSIS summit in 2005. See the photo above.

AWARD 3

Winner on the Media Competition on writing about " Stigma denial and Discrimination" associated with HIV/AIDS. This was organized by theAssociation of Journalists Against Aids in Tanzania ( AJAAT). On the Photo above President Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete of Tanzania, ( then the Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation) was the guest of honour during the award giving ceremony.This was at Maelezo auditorium in Dar-es-Salaam September 2005.

AWARD 4

Winner on the Media Competition on writing about "Vulnerable Children" associated with HIV/AIDS This was organized by the Association of Journalists Against Aids in Tanzania ( AJAAT)

AWARD 5

Winner of the National ICT Media Award organized By SWOPNET in the Country. On the photo above Morogoro Regional Commissioner, Brigadier General ( Rt) Saidi Kalembo was the guest of honour during the award giving ceremony which was held at New Sarvoy Hotel in morogoro town.I was awarded a Mobile phone and a tape-recorder.

AWARD 6

I participated in the Media Competition in writing about VCT (Voluntary Counseling and Testing) in Tanzania which was held between July 15th and October 30th 2008 whereby I emerged among the top five winners. The competition was under the program known as “Tanzania bila Ukwimwi inawezekana” which literally means, Tanzania without AIDS disease transmission is possible”. This is a program which was organizedby the Association of Journalists Against AIDS in Tanzania (AJAAT) under TACAIDS funding. In the photo, I am being presented with a certificate of participation by the Chairman of the Tanzania Commission for AIDS (TACAIDS) Dr. Fatma Mrisho in a colorful ceremony which was held on 22nd December 2008 at Tanzania Information Centre in Dar es Salaam.

AWARD 7

AWARD 8

AWARD 9

I was among the top 17 best selected students who excelled in their final examinations of the 2010/2011 academic year and awarded with the Vice-Chancellor’s prize. I scored 4.5 GPA (First Class) in BA in Journalism. Above I am being given a certificate by the Chairman of the Open University of Tanzania Board of Senate. Standing at the centre facing camera is the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Tolly Mbwette. Extreme left partly hidden is the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic) Professor Elifas Bisanda. This occasion took place during the convocation meeting, a day before the graduation day at the prospective permanent headquarter of the Open University of Tanzania which is currently under construction at Bungo-Kibaha in Coast region 40 kilometers away west of Dar es Salaam city.